AB 481 Compliance

On September 30, 2021, Governor Newsom signed a series of eight (8) policing reform legislation aimed at increasing transparency of peace officer misconduct records and creating a system to decertify peace officers for serious misconduct, improving policing responsibility and accountability guidelines, raising eligibility standards, banning harmful restraint techniques, and creates a public forum for the funding, acquisition, and use of military equipment.

AB 481 was authored by Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco) to address the funding, acquisition, and use of military equipment. 

AB 481 Definition of Military Equipment

The Assembly Bill has designated the following categories of items as military equipment. The El Camino College Police Department has equipment that meets the criteria for 6 of the 15 categories (categories 1, 5, 7, 9, and 14):

• Unmanned, remotely piloted, powered aerial or ground vehicles (Equipment Category 1)
  • RC Car for Training (In process for turn-in)
• Mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles or armored personnel carriers (Equipment Category 2) 
  • Not acquired
• High mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles (HMMWV), two-and-one-half-ton trucks, five-ton trucks, or wheeled vehicles that have a breaching or entry apparatus attached (Equipment Category 3) 
  • Not acquired
• Tracked armored vehicles that provide ballistic protection to their occupants (Equipment Category 4)
  • Not acquired
• Command and control vehicles that are either built or modified to facilitate the operational control and direction of public safety units (Equipment Category 5)
  • Ford Expedition - Watch Commanders Vehicle
    • Outfitted with upgraded radio systems and computer access. 
• Weaponized aircraft, vessels, or vehicles of any kind (Equipment Category 6)
  • Not acquired
• Battering rams, slugs, and breaching apparatuses that are explosive in nature (Equipment Category 7)
  • Less Lethal Shotgun: is used to deploy the less-lethal 12-gauge Super-Sock Beanbag Round.
• Firearms and ammunition of .50 caliber or greater, excluding standard-issue shotguns and standard-issue shotgun ammunition (Equipment Category 8)
  • Not acquired
• Specialized firearms and ammunition of less than .50 caliber, including firearms and accessories identified as assault weapons in Penal Code § 30510 and Penal Code §30515, with the exception of standard-issue handguns (Equipment Category 9)
  • AR 15 (Patrol) and MP5 Rifles (Special Rescue Teams): Firing a .223 bullet having greater accuracy over a long distance. 
• Any firearm or firearm accessory that is designed to launch explosive projectiles (Equipment Category 10)
  • Not acquired
• Noise-flash diversionary devices and explosive breaching tools (Equipment Category 11)
  • Not acquired
• Munitions containing tear gas or OC, excluding standard, service-issued handheld pepper spray (Equipment Category 12)
  • Handheld pepper spray
• TASER® Shockwave, microwave weapons, water cannons, and long-range acoustic devices (Equipment Category 13)
  • Not acquired
• Kinetic energy weapons and munitions (Equipment Category 14)
  • 40 MM Launchers and Rounds: are utilized by department personnel as a less-lethal tool to launch impact rounds.
  • PepperBall launchers: are utilized by department personnel as a less-lethal tool to launch pepper balls over a longer distance. 
• Any other equipment as determined by a governing body or a state agency to require additional oversight (Equipment Category 15)
  • Not acquired

The full text of AB 481 is available here. 

Public Input Regarding AB 481

As required for transparency, ECPD has uploaded multiple written documents on this website. 

 Draft Policy 706 - Military Equipment